May 20th, 2012 
smartdestinations.com This Sunday, San Diego welcomes the Sicilian Festival back for its 19th year in Downtown San Diego. From 10:00am to 6:00pm, the Festival will celebrate Italian culture to the fullest – with free performances and live entertainment, authentic Italian food, and a variety of art and history displays, you’ll be able to leave the Sicilian Festival as close to a true-blooded Italian as you can get. Most importantly, Festival admission is free, and includes free children’s rides and entertainment. So cancel your plans for Sunday, and start looking forward to the following:
Car Shows, Grape Stomping, Free Entertainment
It’s amazing how much has been packed into this year’s Sicilian Festival – it will take a dedicated visitor to see it all (and then reward themselves with some homemade wine and tasty pasta). Here’s a quick list of what you can’t miss: A free Car Show, Parade with Roman Holiday, Grape Stomping Beer and Wine Tasting, Chalk Art, Jazz, Opera Stage, Accordion Performances.
Make sure not to miss the Chalk Art- six of California’s best chalk artists will be creating one of a kind masterpieces inspired by Sicilian culture and well-known works of art. Traditionally, chalk art has a place in Italian history in the form of the Madonnari – artists who would paint images of the Madonna in front of local churches for tips. Today, the Madonnari are simply chalk pavement artists who reproduce historically-inspired works of art which you can see firsthand tomorrow at the Festival.
Also make sure not to miss the Bellissimo! car show on Beech Street. All San Diego residents have the chance to vote for your favorite Ferrari, Maserati, or Lamborghini in this year’s “People’s Choice Award” competition.
Some of the art you may see at this year's Sicilian Festival
Get a Sweeter Taste of Italian Culture and History
For anyone looking to learn a little bit more about Italian culture (while enjoying a homemade cannoli perhaps), check out the different photo exhibits the Festival is presenting. You can start with the NIAF Italia Foundation Booth, where the Convivio Society will display historical photographs of Italian and Sicilian culture along with the design layout for the new Italian community center.
Next, head over to the Maritime Museum of San Diego’s photo exhibit to see the role tuna fishing has played in Italian culture. For a deeper looking into the tuna fishing industry, visit the San Diego History Center’s exhibit: “Tuna! Celebrating San Diego’s Famous Fishing Industry” running until December 30th. Through photography and other media, the exhibit explores the contributions of San Diego families – including its Italian community – to the local tuna fishing industry over time. Remember, as a top San Diego attraction, admission to the San Diego History Center is included with the Go San Diego Card at no additional cost.
And for even more photos, stop by Festival Organizer Giovanna DiBona’s booth to catch her own beautiful shots of Italian countryside, architecture, and more.
Getting There
The Festival will be taking place on India Street in Downtown San Diego, only a ten-fifteen minute drive from such San Diego attractions as the Natural History and Sports History Museums. The Festival is offering free parking at the north end of the County Administration Building at 1600 Pacific Highway, or hop on the trolley or train for a cheap ride over. And after 6 on Sunday, take advantage of free parking meters and your Go San Diego Card by seeing the Ramp It Up exhibit at the Museum of Man for free. Have fun!
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